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17 June 2008

Indian Online Marketing Trends for 2009-2010

To know where we're headed in 2010, we must understand how Indians adapt to the latest information and communications technology. According to Indian online 2008 Research from the Juxtconult, The report gives details on the study carried out to understand the Internet users in India..

According to Alexa, Coming below Yahoo and above Google India and Google.com. So Google owns three of the top 4 sites in India.

What is more interesting is before Rediff and MSN (the .com version, not the. co.in version!) YouTube comes in at number 5. We've heard of lack of broadband in India, but YouTube's popularity is really staggering in that light!Jobsite Naukri.com is number 15, showing up as the first specialized website in the ranking (being the first jobsite in India obviously contributes to that),

The no 8. Blogger.com. Yes, Indians are taking to social media like ducks to water. Orkut, YouTube and Blogger's Alexa ranking shows that. Again, Google owns all three.Indians also like to share files over the Internet that shows the popularity of Rapidshare and Megaupload, both coming in on the top 15 websites.

The first mainstream media website is Indiatimes at number 17 followed by soft-porn site Debonairblog.Cricket's not really taken a beating, as cricinfo that is the preferred site for NRIs to follow the game is number 13 followed by music site Raaga.com and desi portal Sify.com

Looking forward, we can see how this activity will affect online marketing. Offline marketing expenditures will continue to shift to online, and digital marketing will keep on evolving and maturing. This will have significant impact on 2009 trends.

Consider these top online marketing trends for 2009:

Social media growth: will come from expanded niche products. While Orkut increased share significantly in 2008, grabbing attention from space book My Space and You Tube, social media growth in 2008 will emerge from more targeted offerings that attract users based on interest. Search marketing will continue to extend its reach into other formats, including social, local, and mobile search.Analytics and related measurements : will become more sophisticated. As the online market matures, analytics will become the arbiter of success and important for revealing areas of opportunity and those that require additional effort.Behavioral targeting : will become more widespread and will provide improved customer experiences, offering customers more relevant information to consumers and better-targeted ads to marketers. It will extend beyond current uses for media and social networking sites to help other online marketers improve and tailor their customer experience.

Integration of on- and offline: will continue as retailers update technology to allow customers to use the channel they prefer for each aspect of the purchase process.

E-mail communications: will evolve. Promotional e-mail has lost its novelty. Given consumer fatigue from increased frequency and stale offers, marketers must focus on delivering relevant messages to consumers when they're most willing to listen to them. This translates into increased use of behaviorally triggered e-mail related to customer actions, more personalized and dynamic content, and greater use of newsletters that provide customers with either valuable or entertaining information.

Individuals and small businesses: that aren’t ready to spend money on advertising will invest time in developing low budget marketing initiatives based on free Internet services. Using a free Blog or a Face book Page as a company web site is becoming a popular alternative for people not wanting to pay for website design and hosting. Free online video sites like you Tube will continue to be used as an alternative to TV advertising. .

The market will disrupt by a new technology or a shift in how existing products are used. Be sure, something big like a Google, My Space, or You Tube will arrive out of nowhere and provide a great opportunity for marketers who can react fast.

Notice that mobile marketing didn't make the list. It's been the next big thing and part of many predictions for years. It has a world of potential, but the lack of generally accepted platforms, formats, and business models will continue to hamper mobile's growth in 2008.

Metrics to MeasureAs we move into 2009, make sure you have the systems in place to monitor your marketing successes and challenges. The following are the fundamental metrics that must be tracked by any marketing organization:

Customers: Track your base of existing customers and prospects as well as your flow of new visitors and conversion rates to determine the direction and level of growth.Revenues: Monitor sales in total as well as per customer. Consider the value of your average order and number of units per purchase. Check the trends to ensure they continue to maintain current levels, at least, if not grow.

Expenses: Measure marketing costs in total as well as per customer and per campaign.Margins: Ensure you continue to maintain your gross margins. Also track lifetime value and return on investment to determine whether you're within acceptable corporate guidelines.

External factors: Track environmental factors. You may be doing well relative to internal measures while falling behind the overall online economy or your close competitors.Buzz: Monitor what's being said about your firm and products as well as your competitors and their products. Are you overlooking trends?

It's sure to be another exciting and challenging year for the online marketing community in 2008. While the rate of e-commerce's growth may be slowing down a bit, the pace of change won't. The future belongs to those organizations that can succeed at both innovation and execution.